The Ministry of Transport approves the research project "MIQ - mobile stations in the district".
Image: New efficiency - Photo: Christian Reimann
How can the mobility of residents in a district be improved while at the same time relieving the road space of cars and trucks? The Wuppertal Institute, the Bergische Universität Wuppertal, the New Efficiency and the association Unternehmer/innen für die Nordstadt e. V. within the recently started research project "MIQ - mobile stations in the district". Four grants worth around 1.1 million euros have now been awarded for the design and construction of mobile stations.
“More and more people want flexible, comfortable and networked mobility. Mobile stations fulfill this wish: They are a fixed and easily accessible point for changing from e-bikes to buses and trains, rental scooters or car sharing. So you can drive faster, safer and clean to work, to the doctor or to go shopping in the city center. And with additional offers such as parcel stations, e-charging points or cafés, mobile stations can be expanded into attractive meeting points in the residential area. That's why the state government is very happy to support the installation of mobile stations and research into further development options - such as here in Wuppertal with the project 'MIQ - mobile stations in the district'," says Ina Brandes, Minister of Transport of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The researchers are creating a concept of how a mobile station as a so-called district hub can be supplemented with additional traffic-reducing functions in addition to classic mobility offers. In addition, a new mobile station is to be built in Elberfelder Nordstadt in Wuppertal by March 2023 in order to make switching from your own car to public transport, cycling and walking more attractive.
"The project is intended to create strong alternatives to the car and thus advance the traffic turnaround in the district together with the residents. In addition, a district hub should create the possibility of reducing distances and bundling the flow of goods," says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oscar Reutter, co-head of the research area Mobility and Transport Policy at the Wuppertal Institute, in the project development phase.
Mobile stations serve as hubs and link traffic offers with one another. These include, for example, bicycle parking spaces, car and bike sharing offers or taxi stops. They are usually in the immediate vicinity of public transport stops. This is intended to reduce traffic-related problems in districts - such as Ölberg and Mirke in the north of Wuppertal - and to create offers for sustainable forms of mobility. The project partners from science, practice and neighborhood organizations want to find a location for the new mobile station in close cooperation with the residents of the district and determine its effectiveness and success factors.
Blueprint for more cities
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrike Reutter from the University of Wuppertal (teaching and research area public transport systems and mobility management) explains: "The specific results that we get on the Ölberg and in the Mirke can be applied to the entire urban area and transferred to similar areas in other cities ."
As part of the project, blueprints are being drawn up to determine the extent to which mobile stations can be equipped with additional functions. “In addition to mobility offers, package service functions, local supply options or bike repair modules can also be integrated into neighborhood hubs. At the same time, this creates a new meeting place for local residents," explains Jochen Stiebel, Managing Director of Neue Efficiency gGmbH.
The starting point is the pilot project of the first Wuppertal mobile station at Schusterplatz on the Ölberg, implemented in 2019 by the district association for entrepreneurs for the Nordstadt e.V. Here, too, neighborhood initiatives work together with private and economic actors as well as the city. "We build on the ideas and commitment of our neighborhood and cordially invite you to work together," emphasizes Thomas Weyland from the civil society association Unternehmer/innen für die Nordstadt e. V.
The project is funded by the European Union (ERDF) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Further information on the project and opportunities to get involved is available on the website www.mobilstations-im-quartier.de.
Link to the press release on the ministry's website: https://www.land.nrw/pressemitteilung/mobil-im-quartier-land-foerdert-quartiersbezogene-mobilstationen-und-quartiers
